Stapling implement



ug. 16, 1966 K. M. VOGEL 3,266,699

STAPLING IMPLEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28. 1964 INVENTOR. KURT M. VEEL ATTR'NEY Aug. 16, 1966 K. M. VOGEL 3,266,699

` STAPLING IMPLEMENT Filed Sept.. 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ff fa f7 INVENTOR. KURT M. VOGEL l 45j' .46 67 52 ATTURNEY United States Patent O 3,266,699 STAPLING IMPLEMENT Kurt M. Vogel, Westport, Conn. (506 Logan St., Bridgeport, Conn.) Fiied Sept. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 399,643 6 Claims. (Cl. 227-124) The present invention relates to a stapling implement, particularly of the type having a magazine containing a strip of ltemporarily adhered individual U-shaped staples, the staples adapted to be individually separated from the strip and each separated staple thereupon driven to cause its side legs to penetrate the material to be stapled and be bent into clinched relation beneath the material through engagement with a grooved anvil. Heretofore, such grooved anvil has usually consisted of a formed sheet metal piece welded or riveted in place, making it extremely difficult to readily replace a worn anvil piece, or to insure precise positioning by adjustment of the anvil grooves with respect to the staple driver, once the anvil piece has been permanently welded or riveted in place.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a stapling implement having an improved anvil construction and mounting which will enable the precise adjustment of the anvil groove with respect to the staple driver, and at the same time will effectually fix the anvil piece in its adjusted position so that it will not be moved from such adjusted position through normal use of the stapling implement. A further object is to provide an anvil piece which may be readily removed and replaced.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fail within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a side elevation of a stapling implement according to the invention, the light broken lines showing the initial movement of the staple leg into engaged relation with the material to be stapled, and the heavy broken lines showing the final position of the staple driving means following penetration and clinching of the staple;

FIG, 2 is a front elevation;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View, partially broken away, taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view;

FIG. 6 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the anvil piece;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the anvil piece;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the anvil piece;

FIG. 9 is a transverse sectional View, taken along the line 9 9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. l() is a transverse sectional view, taken along the line 10-10 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 1l is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale of the lower anvil carrying body part of the stapling implement showing the anvil piece in place; and

FIG. 12 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 12-12 of FIG. 1l.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the stapling implement is shown by way of example as a hand held plier type stapling implement, but it will be obvious that the improved anvil construction and mounting of the invention may be incorporated in other types of stapling implements. The plier type stapling implement illustrated comprises a housing member 10, preferably formed of sheet metal, consisting of a top wall 11, parallel side walls 12-12, and a hand grip portion 13 extending rearwardly from the top wall and the upper portions of the side walls. In the lower portions of the side walls 12 there are respectively provided horizontal slots 14-14 disposed parallel to the top wall 11 and opening to the forward edges of the side walls to provide a throat space 15 for receiving the material to be stapled. The lower jaw portions 16 of the side wal'ls below the slots 14 preferably have their lower edges inclined downwardly and rearwardly and between these jaw portions there is mounted the anvil means of the invention, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

A feed magazine 17 for the strip of inverted U-shape staples S is pivotally mounted within the housing member in normally flush relation with the upper edges of the slots 14, and comprises an elongated channel member 1S having intermediate its ends a pair of pivot bearing apertured ears 19-19 struck from its base Wall and extended downwardly in the plane of its side walls and engaged by a transverse pivot pin 20 supported by and extending between the side walls 12 of the housing member. The pivot pin is located rearwardly of and substantially in line with the slots 14 so that upon counterclockwise pivotal movement of the -magazine 17 the forward end of the channel member 18 will swing downwardly within the space 15 into clamping relation with the material M to be stapled, as shown by the light roken lines in FIG. 1. An elongated guide strip 21 of U-shape in cross-section is secured as by welding to the base of the channel member 18, its side walls being inwardly spaced from the side walls of the channel member with their upper edges downwardly spaced from inwardly extending retaining flanges 22-22 provided at the upper edges of the side walls of the channel member, to thus provide an inverted U-shape guide space for the staple strip S.

At the forward end of the channel member 18 there is provided a staple driving head consisting of a vertically disposed head ymember 23 of U-shape in crosssection having its side walls secured as by welding to vertical upward extensions 24-24 of the side walls of the channel member, the forward edge of the base wall of the channel member being inwardly offset from the forward wall of the head member 23 to provide an opening 25 through which the forward staple of the staple strip S is adapted to be driven during the stapling operation. A rectangular driver plate 26 is guided at its vertical side edges in vertical grooves 27 formed by the right-angularly disposed adjacent surfaces of the head member, the upward extensions 24 of the channel member, and a backing member 28 secured as by welding to the inner sides of the extensions 24.

An actuating lever 29 provided with a lower rearwardly extending hand grip portion 30 is pivotally mounted on a transverse pin 31 supported by and extended between the side walls 12 of the housing, `and has its forward nose portion 32 engaged in an opening 33 in the driver plate 26 and projected through a vertical slot 34 in the forward wall of the -head member 23. This lever is preferably formed of sheet metal, its two side portions being folded upwardly from the hand grip portion and disposed at the inner sides of the side walls 12 at each side of the channel member 18, and 'being brought together in the central -plane of the implement above the channel member where they are secured together as by spot welding to thus provide a lever in which the upper portion engaged by the pivot pin and the nose portion 32 are of double thickness. Arcuate slots 35 provided in the side portion of the lever in concentric relation to the pivot pin 31 are engaged by the pivot pin to permit limited swinging movement of the lever about the pivot pin 31, as will presently more fully appear. A coil spring 36 positioned against the underside of the channel member 18 adjacent the pivot pin 20 has its rearwardly extending leg engaged with the inner side of the hand grip portion and its forwardly extending leg engaged with the anvil piece disposed between the lower jaw portions 16 of the housing, as will hereinafter more fully appear. The spring thus exerts pressure upon the lever in clockwise direction to normally position the hand grip portion 30 in the lopen position, as shown in full lines in FIG. 1, to move the driver plate 26 to its raised position within the head member of the magazine, and to swing the magazine in clockwise direction about the pin 20 through engagement of the nose portion 32 of the lever with the upper end of the slot 26 of the head member, the upper end of the head member being pressed against the top wall 11 of the housing member.

The staple strip S is pressed forwardly in the magazine by means of a push shoe 37 of inverted U-shape in crosssection slideably mounted upon the guide strip 21 and having a pair of apertured lugs 38 disposed within the channel of the guide strip. These lugs are slideably en gaged by a rod 39 having a head 40 at its forward end, a spiral spring 41 being disposed about the rod between the rearwardly disposed lug and a locking member 42 secured lupon the rearward end of the rod. This locking member has a finger grip extension 43 at its base and at one side is provided with a lug 44 adapted to be turned into spring-loaded locking engagement with a shouldered bayonet notch 45 provided in one side wall of the channel member 18. By turning the lug out -of locking engagement with the notch the push shoe may be removed for the purpose of inserting another staple strip. A lug 38a formed upon the forward end of the upper side of the push shoe is adapted when the last staple of the staple strip is in place beneath the driver plate 26 to abut the inner side of the driver plate to thus prevent the push shoe from entering the space beneath the driver plate when the last staple of the staple strip has been driven.

The anvil construction and mounting, according to the invention, is supported between the lower jaw portions 16 of the housing and comprises a mounting piece 45 having an inclined base wall 46, for disposition in parallel relation to the lower edges of the jaw portions 16, and upwardly extending side walls 47-47 for engagement with the inner sides of the jaw portions and having horizontal upper edges aligned with the upper horizontal edges of the jaw portions. The mounting piece is permanently xed between the jaw portions by spot-welding the side Walls 47 thereto. The base wall 46 is provided at an intermediate point with a downwardly facing recess 48 formed by an upwardly embossed dish-shaped indenture 49 having a centrally disposed circular aperture 50.

The anvil piece 51 comprises a forward wall portion 52, for engagement at its lower edge with the base wall 46 adjacent its forward edge, a horizontal platform portion 53 extending rearwardly from the upper end of the forward wall portion for alignment of its upper side with `the upper edges of the side walls 47 of the mounting piece 45, and having transversely disposed staple leg bending grooves 54-54 pressed therein, an intermediate inclined bridge portion 55 connected by a connecting portion 56 to the rearward end of the platform portion and disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation to the base wall 46 of the mounting piece, an inclined heel portion 57 connected by a connecting portion 58 to the rearward end of the inclined bridge portion for engagement with the -base wall 46, and a rearward wall portion 59 extending upwardly from the rearward end of the heel portion to provide an anchor over which the hook end 60 of the forward leg of the spring 36 is engaged. The under surface of the heel portion 57 has a grid-like formation 61 impressed therein of suitable design to produce a series of sharply pointed edges 62 preferably arranged both transversely and longitudinally of the anvil piece, and adapted as will presently more fully appear to bite into the base wall 46 of the mounting piece.

The intermediate portion 56 is provided with a threaded hole 63 for engagement by a headed screw 64 having its shank loosely engaged for longitudinal adjustment in the aperture 49, and having its head disposed within the recess 5t) with a lock washer 65 disposed between the screw head and the base wall of the recess.

The anvil piece is formed of strip steel `bent to shape and having the grooves 54 and the grid formation 61 impressed thereon by suitable tools in an untempered or relatively soft state of the metal. Thereupon the anvil piece is suitably tempered to impart a high degree of `hardness thereto, so that there is a substantial differential in hardness between the anvil piece and the base wall 46 of the mounting piece 45, the latter being preferably sheet or strip steel in an untempered or relatively soft state. Because of this differential in hardness the sharply pointed edges 62 of the grid formation have the capability of biting or irrrbedding into the base wall 46 through compressive action between the inter-engaged surfaces as a result of tightening of the screw 64. In the operation of assembling the anvil piece it is initially secured by the screw 64 in a relatively loose position of the screw, and is longitudinally adjusted to bring the staple leg bending or clinching grooves 54 into precise alignment with the driver plate 26. Thereupon the screw is tightened to cause t-he sharp edges 62 of the grid formation to bite or imbed into t-he base wall 46 of the mounting piece to thus positively tix the position of the anvil piece against longitudina-l displacement through norm-al operation of the stapling implement.

While for convenience in manufacturing the aperture 49 is preferably circular, it is obvious that it may be in the form of an elongated slot to provide for longitudinal adjustment therein of the screw 64.

What is claimed is:

1. In a stapling implement, a staple-carrying magazine for staples of inverted U-shape having bendable leg portions, a staple driver for driving individual staples from said magazine, anvil means opposed to said magazine comprising 4a support member having a flat support surface, an anvil piece of material substantially harder than the material of said support member and positioned upon said support member for longitudinal adjustment relative thereto including an anvil part having staple leg bending means opposed to said staple driver and a part engaged with said support surface of said support member having sharp edged portions directed toward said support surface, and tightening means for drawing said part against said support surface to cause said sharp edged portions to bite into said support sur-face.

2. The invention as dened in claim 1, wherein said sharp edged portions comprise longitudinal and transverse ridges arranged in a grid-like pattern.

3. In a stapling implement, a staple-carrying magazine for staples of inverted U-shape having bendable leg portions, a staple driver for driving individual staples from said magazine, and anvil means opposed to said magazine comprising a support member having a base wall and longitudinal side walls, an anvil piece engaged upon said support member for longitudinal adjustment relative thereto including a front wall part engaged at its lower edge with said base wall, a platform part extending rearwardly from said front wall part having staple leg bending means opposed to said staple driver, a bridge part extending rearwardly from said platform part in spaced relation to said base wall of said support member, a 'heel part extending rearwardly from said bridge part and engaged with said base Wall, and tightening means connected between said base wall and said bridge part for drawing said heel part against said base wall.

0f a size to permit longitudinal movement of said screw therein to alect the longitudinal adjustment of said anvil piece.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,037,461 4/ 1936 Drypolcher 227-124 2,154,366 4/1939 Thomson 227-144 X 2,227,826 1/ 1941 Drypolcher et al. 227-127 X GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, JR., Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A STAPLING IMPLEMENT, A STAPLE-CARRYING MAGAZINE FOR STAPLES OF INVERTED U-SHAPE HAVING BENDABLE LEG PORTIONS, A STAPLE DRIVER FOR DRIVING INDIVIDUAL STAPLES FROM SAID MAGAZINE, ANVIL MEANS OPPOSED TO SAID MAGAZINE COMPRISING A SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A FLAT SUPPORT SURFACE, AN ANVIL PIECE OF MATERIAL SUBSTANTIALLY HARDER THAN THE MATERIAL OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND POSITIONED UPON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER FOR LONGITUDINAL ADJUSTMENT RELATIVE THERETO INCLUDING AN ANVIL PART HAVING STAPLE LEG BENDING MEANS OPPOSED TO SAID STAPLE DRIVER AND A PART ENGAGED WITH SAID SUPPORT SURFACE OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING SHARP EDGED PORTIONS DIRECTED TOWARD SAID SUPPORT SURFACE, AND TIGHTENING MEANS FOR DRAWING SAID PART AGAINST SAID SUPPORT SURFACE TO CAUSE SAID SHARP EDGED PORTIONS TO BITE INTO SAID SUPPORT SURFACE. 